Grand Cayman scuba diving

About Grand Cayman and Grand Cayman Diving

The Cayman Islands are currently a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. We’re located south of Cuba and the northwest of Jamaica…about 400 miles from Miami. The territory is a major offshore financial center and world class tourist destination in the Caribbean, with amazing Cayman Islands diving. The Capital of the Cayman Islands is George Town, which is located on the south-west coast of Grand Cayman.

The Cayman Islands were sighted by Christopher Columbus, on 10th May 1503. He named them Las Tortugas after the large amount of sea turtles he saw. Francis Drake was the first recorded English visitor to the island. In 1586 he renamed them the ‘Cayman Islands’ after the Latin term for alligator. A variety of people settled on the islands, including pirates, refugees from the Spanish inquisition, shipwrecked sailors, deserters from the army in Jamaica, and slaves. The majority of Caymanians are of African and British descent, with considerable interracial mixing. Following several unsuccessful attempts, permanent settlement of the islands began in the 1730s. The Caymans were governed as a single colony when Jamaica became its own sovereignty.

The Cayman Islands are part of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Trench, standing 8,000 feet from the sea floor. This makes it the perfect area for Grand Cayman diving. As the name suggest Grand Cayman is the biggest island, with an area of 76 square miles. The islands have unique and endemic species of parrots and plants along with the endangered Blue Iguana. The climate is absolutely perfect for diving with waters 85 degrees . Once you visit you will know that Cayman Islands diving is the best in the world.

We have more registered businesses than we have people! The latest population estimate is about 52,000, representing a mix of more than 100 nationalities. Out of that number, about half are of Caymanian descent. The island enjoys the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. According to the islands GDP, per capita, it is the 12th highest in the world. The islands print their own money which is pegged to the American dollar at a fixed rate of 1 KYD Dollar = 1.25 USD.

There is no income tax. That’s right, none! No capital gains tax or corporation tax. An import duty of five percent to twenty two percent is levied against all imported goods. The Cayman Islands are the fifth largest banking center in the world, with over 1.5 trillion in banking. We are home to 279 banks, only 19 of which are licensed to conduct local banking, the remaining 260 are licensed to operate internationally. The Cayman Islands have a modern health-care system. Health insurance is handled by private insurers and a government run company. There is no universal health coverage as in the UK or Canada. For divers and others in need of hyperbaric care there is a re-compression chamber at George Town Hospital.